Lisa Roys Q&A

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Anyone attending a Wisconsin State Bar function will likely run into Lisa Roys. As director of public affairs for the Bar since February 2006 and government relations coordinator prior to that, Roys is routinely seen around the state Capitol, in the Supreme Court and even in her office at the State Bar Center in Madison.

A self-described “traffic manager,” Roys helps forge mutually beneficial relationships between legislators and lawyers – an admittedly challenging job.

Coordinating conversation is what Roys, an Iowa native, does and has done since coming to Wisconsin as a radio news anchor in the 1980s.

She sat down with Wisconsin Law Journal reporter Jack Zemlicka on Nov. 26 to discuss the biggest obstacles in dealing with the Legislature, how politically aware attorneys are, and whether she ever plans to go into private practice.

WLJ: As the primary facilitator of conversations between the bar and the state government, what is the most difficult aspect of your job?

Roys: It’s always a challenge as a bar association with all the sections that are lobbying too. Our first difficulty is we speak for 16 different voices, with the 15 different sections and then the Bar Association itself. That’s always a challenge in trying to delineate the difference between a section position and a bar position. I think we’ve been fairly well-received down at the Capitol, but we have our competitors around there too, which makes it additionally challenging.

WLJ: Although Wisconsin has a mandatory bar and takes uniform public policy positions, bar sections can lobby for their own agendas. How do you deal with that?

Roys: The Supreme Court rules mandate that those sections be very clear about what position they are taking and on whose behalf. That is a challenge to make sure people understand, but [it] can also be a benefit. For example, when we speak on behalf of the Criminal Law Section and they take a position on a piece of legislation I can say this is who they are, prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, all those things wrapped together.

Sometimes it can be difficult having legislators understand it is just a section and not the entire bar, but we do our best to make it very clear.

WLJ: One of the biggest challenges to the mandatory bar in Wisconsin focused on making members pay dues to an association, which takes political positions they don’t share. Is it appropriate for the bar to lobby for issues that do not directly affect the practice of law?

Roys: I think the court mandates what positions are that we should be taking. It isn’t just what benefits the practice of law, it is the administration of justice; and what exactly that is, is up to the Board of Governors to determine.

WLJ: One of the initiatives developed by State Bar President Tom Basting concerns consumer protection from unqualified legal professionals. Where is that proposal at this point?

Roys: It’s a petition before the Supreme Court on Dec. 10, so that is about to pop here very quickly. I think this is just something we’re trying to take a real solid look at. Our issue here is making sure that the public has someone to go to when there is a problem with someone presenting themselves as an attorney or as an expert in a field they have no business being in.

WLJ: Judicial campaigns are another area Basting targeted for reform. Can we expect any changes to be made prior to next spring’s Supreme Court election?

Roys: It’s still one of [Basting’s] key concerns, but beyond that, I’m not sure where we’ll be next year with it. There hasn’t been any movement on the legislation itself, but we just have a concern that judicial campaigns are different than congressional or legislative campaigns and what the role of a judge really is in this system. That is a concern going forward, so stay tuned.

WLJ: A trio of proposed constitutional amendments, including one in support of a voluntary bar seemed to catch some Board of Governors members off guard in March. Are there ever any legislative surprises?

Roys: Sure. How many other lobbyists are there around the state Capitol? There are hundreds of other people working issues. There are constituents out there bringing in ideas and of course there are going to be surprises. We do our best to mitigate them and react responsibly, but there are always going to be pieces, which spring up. If we get to know legislators, hopefully they will pick up the phone and say, hey, we’ve got this proposal, what do you think? Honestly, we’d like to be partners with the Legislature in working through some of those issues.

WLJ: When gathering and analyzing information, is there ever difficulty in terms of timeliness when a new piece of legislation arises?

Roys: All the lobbying organizations have a challenge based on timing. Certainly, when March rolls around on an even-numbered year, bills get introduced and passed just within a couple of week’s time. For any organization, especially one with 22,000 members to move at the speed of the Legislature in March is sometimes difficult. We still want to provide good information and respond appropriately, but it’s not always easy when things are just rolling like crazy.

WLJ: How many pieces of legislation typically come along in a year, which may be of interest to the Bar and demand a position?

Roys: We try to flag them and let the Bar tells us what’s interesting. Even sometimes if it’s relevant to the subject matter, it may not be timely. It might be something a legislator introduced solely for their constituency and it may not be going anywhere. We like to work with them and make it better if it does in fact get legs. There are how many thousands of pieces of legislation that are introduced and maybe 30 percent gets referred out. We still farm it out to sections, but it may not garner a response.

WLJ: Have you found that the Legislature often keeps the Bar informed of new proposals which may impact its practices?

Roys: They are starting to. I hate having to oppose a piece of legislation. I’d much rather be able to work through some issue. Maybe we’re not going to have a complete meeting of the minds, but at times hopefully we can at least make things look better or work better. Lines of communication need to stay open.

WLJ: How politically aware are Bar members?

Roys: I think attorneys are in a unique position because they deal with the law on a daily basis. They know the end result of what it is the folks up at the Capitol are doing. I don’t track the money they give, but it’s a unique group in that, because of what they do, they know what’s happening and how it affects their practice. Laws are changing, forms are changing or the courts are active so for the most part, bar members are pretty aware of the political scene.

WLJ: As a licensed attorney, married to an attorney, do you have any thoughts of going into private
practice?

Roys: No. I had actually gone to law school as part of my education of being a legislative staff member. When I was at law school, I was actually working for the Senate Majority Policy Office and just felt the need very strongly to understand the law and practice of law, if I was going to help make law. I’ve never considered going into private practice and it’s just not something I’m looking for at this stage in my life.